1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more specifically, to a locking device for preventing a plug from being removed from a jack.
2. Description of the Related Art
The set-top box that cable television service providers have long provided to their residential customers to interface a television set with the cable television network is rapidly being supplanted by more technologically advanced types of customer premises equipment that serve as gateways for interfacing a variety of electronic devices to service providers' digital networks. For example, service providers who operate passive optical networks may provide an optical network terminator (ONT, also known as optical network unit) at the customer premises, to which one can connect various devices, such as Ethernet local area network (LAN) servers, telephones, and televisions. In instances in which both the ONT and the Ethernet device are provided by the service provider, the service provider may wish to prevent the customer from tampering with the equipment.
But the connectors that are commonly used to connect such devices, such as the RJ45 connector plug 10 and jack 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are intended to be readily removable. The plug 10 has a body 14 with a resilient latch arm 16 extending from it. The latch arm 16 is ramped so that it resiliently deflects and easily slides into the jack 12, then it resiliently returns to its neutral position where cooperating catch surfaces hold it in the jack until the latch arm is depressed. On of opposite side of the latch arm 16 is a shoulder 18 that extends laterally from the plug body 14. When the plug 10 is stalled in the jack 12, the shoulder 18 extends laterally across and is spaced apart from the jack. Before installing the plug 10 in the jack 12, a line 20 such as a cable is connected to the plug. In this configuration, the plug 10 is easily installed and easily removed from the jack 12.
Accordingly, there is nothing to prevent a customer or otherwise unauthorized person from unplugging connectors such as those of Ethernet cables from devices such as the above-mentioned ONT. The present invention addresses these problems and deficiencies and others in the manner described below.